Vanlife in California: Trip Report

In our early twenties, Grant and I spent a significant amount of time in California going to school. Each time we come back, we are reminded of the uniqueness of the state. With so much diversity in the ecosystem, it is difficult to become bored here.

Inland Empire

One of the many benefits of living in the van is the ability to visit friends and family all over the states. Prior to Baja, we visited Grant’s grandparents in Desert Hot Springs. We spent the days reading good books, making home cooked meals, playing golf, and listening to Grant dominate Jeopardy. Some nights even got a little rowdy when all the family got together to play Mexican Train. A highlight of SoCal was meeting up with some of my closest friends and reminiscing about our days in PT school. Whenever we all together, it is like we haven’t missed a beat.

Fortunately some of our lifelong friends, the Scofields, graciously agreed to watch Lhotse (along with three other dogs and a cat) as we traveled to Baja. It was good for our spoiled pup to learn how to share. When we returned, we spent the night at the Scofield’s catching up. It is never a dull time when the O’s and Sco’s get together.

Eastern Sierra

We headed up north to spend a couple of weeks along highway 395 exploring the Eastern Sierra. While camping remotely in the Alabama Hills, Grant photographed, Lhotse roamed, and I read. Our campsite allowed us to enjoy the beauty of Mt. Whitney and it was hard to leave an amazing spot. Lhotse loved the freedom and would have slept in the dirt every night if I would have allowed.

Mammoth Mountain

Our ski pass this year included multiple locations throughout the country one of which was Mammoth Mountain. As we were driving to Mammoth Grant mentioned that he should have texted our friend Bucky who lives in LA. While in college, Grant and Bucky enjoyed snowboarding together as they challenged each other in the terrain park. As we pulled up to a stop light Grants phone began to ring with Bucky on the other line. We had just passed him and his brother! Fate had brought Grant and Bucky back together for two epic days of snowboarding. Bucky’s brother and I tagged along while the two of them pushed their limits once again. The mom in me had to remind them they weren’t 19 anymore.

We continued to spend a few more days in Mammoth skiing with some of my grad school friends, Patrick and Jessica. We explored different parts of the mountain and even got a picture with Wooly. They were kind enough to let us shower and sleep in their driveway.

Death Valley

After we left the highest point in the continental United States (Mt. Whitney) we headed to the lowest part of the United States (Death Valley). Death Valley is a large park and has many unique attractions to offer. With everything from slot canyons to sand dunes, there is plenty to see and photograph. One of the more popular attractions is the Badwater Basin. Sitting at  282ft below sea level, it is the lowest point in North America. Being a photographers paradise, our two night stay in Death Valley quickly became a seven night stay.

Anza-Borrego

Our schedule in the van is mostly formed by the best weather conditions. We are always flexible ready to go where the best weather/light will happen. With heavy rains in Southern California, we decided to go check out Anza-Borrego State Park to see the wildflowers. As we stepped out of the van, the fragrance of the flowers filled the air and we knew we were in the right spot. Even though this year was not a record super bloom, we admired hillsides covered in purple and yellow flowers.

The coast

To wrap up our time in California, we headed up north along the coast exploring different areas.  Being from Colorado, I will always love the mountains but there is something mesmerizing about the ocean and all the life it holds. While in Monterrey not only did we see otters and different birds, we saw multiple whales including one that breached three times. Heading up to the Sonoma coast, we spent time with our good friend Jerry and his pup Poppy. He kicked our butts on a mountain bike ride but worth it when his neighbor had warm baked apples waiting for us when we returned. Jerry is passionate about his community and the three of us spent an afternoon exploring the beaches while picking up trash. When it was time to leave, Lhotse was hesitant. He fell in love with his neighbor and the freedom that came with coastal life.

As is our typical van life, we don’t know what’s next but that is what is so exciting! We are so grateful for our time in California catching up with family, friends, and experiencing the highs and lows of California once again.